2 Detroit Pistons predicted as buyout candidates

Feb 18, 2023; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Detroit Pistons general manager Troy Weavers attends the
Feb 18, 2023; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Detroit Pistons general manager Troy Weavers attends the | Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

With the trade deadline rapidly approaching, it's anyone's guess what the Detroit Pistons will do.

Reports indicate they could be buyers, but it seems more likely that other teams will be looking to poach their veterans at a discount.

The Pistons will have difficulty putting together a trade package to land an impact player, but keep getting mentioned in NBA trade rumors anyway.

Recently, Bleacher Report predicted two Detroit Pistons might be among the best buyout candidates after the trade deadline. While I don't think either of these guys will garner much in a trade, it's also hard to believe they'll just be bought out.

Possible buyout options on the Detroit Pistons

Alec Burks

Even though Burks has had a roller-coaster season, swinging from red hot to unable to make a shot, he'll still likely have some amount of trade value at the deadline.

He's a proven shooter who can still knock down 3-point shots and he's been much better of late. He's on an expiring contract that wouldn't be difficult to move, so if the Pistons want to trade him, there will probably be an offer, which makes it unlikely he'd be bought out.

Joe Harris

Harris barely plays and is terrible when he does, so it's hard to imagine anyone wanting to trade for him unless it is part of a bigger deal and the Pistons need his expiring $20 million contract to make it work.

While I wouldn't completely rule that out, it's hard to see much of a market for a washed shooter who is hitting 34 percent of his 3-point shots and might not be able to guard me, and I currently have a broken toe.

It's possible Harris and the Pistons will come to some sort of buyout agreement just to allow Detroit to save a few bucks and for Harris to find a home on a better team if any of them would have him.

If Harris is eventually bought out, it will be a further indictment of the trade that brought him to Detroit in the first place, as the Pistons could have used that $20 million to grab role players who can crack the rotation of the worst team in the NBA.

I can't see Burks being bought out, and with Harris, it doesn't really matter, as he doesn't have value to the Pistons unless they need his contract.

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